When it comes to sketching, many people tend to feel overwhelmed and unsure of how to begin. Sketching helps to develop your artistic vision, encourages you to explore new art mediums, and can increase your ability to accurately express your ideas and visions.
Therefore, if you’re looking to start sketching and get the hang of basic but impactful techniques, this article is a must read for you. In it, we will look at a broad overview of the different tools and techniques you need to get started with a successful sketch, from the basics of gathering the materials to practicing the fundamentals to finally starting creating your unique artwork. Let’s get started!
Know the Different Tools and Consider Different Mediums
Before even beginning to sketch, it’s important to first understand what tools and mediums you have available. Generally, a sketch artist will need a sketchbook, erasers, pencils, pens, and paints. Different mediums are also important when it comes to sketching.
For example, watercolor paints, charcoal, graphite pencils, ink, and markers can all lend their own unique characteristics to a piece. Knowing the types of materials you have at your disposal and understanding their purpose, as well as any limitations they may pose, is essential to ensuring your sketches come out as intended.
Start With the Fundamentals
Once you know what tools and mediums you’ll be working with, it’s time to start getting the basics in order. This includes understanding the basics of drawing and sketching such as proportions, perspective, line weight, negative space, and fundamentals of shapes and form.
It is also important to familiarize yourself with the way different tools work, such as the difference between a pencil and pen or a brush and a knife. Being able to competently wield the tools you’ll be using and understand their nuances is essential to creating any piece of art.
Make Up Ideas and Practice
Once you’ve worked your way through the basics, it’s time to get creative! Sketching is highly beneficial to your artistic and creative development, as it helps you refine your ideas and visual problems you may encounter.
Prior to starting work on any final project, you should practice with some ideas that may inspire you. Sketches don’t have to have certain elements or look a certain way, as it is your art and everyone has a unique way of expressing themself. Therefore, practice on whatever’s inspiring you and look up tutorials, if needed.
Choose the Right Sketchbook
When it comes to sketching, having the right tools and material are key to creating a successful work. This includes having the right sketchbook for your medium. Sketchbooks come in all shapes, sizes, and textures and can be made from just about any material, including recycled paper and even craft leather.
Make sure to choose a sketchbook that best fits the kind of work you’ll be doing, be it a pocket-sized one for travel or a large and durable one for studio work.
Be Mindful of Lighting
When it comes to any artwork, lighting is absolutely essential to creating a successful and impactful sketch. Natural light is usually the ideal lighting to work under, as it’s ubiquitous and helps to create a consistent atmosphere.
However, if you’re looking to work indoors, proper lighting can go a long way and make the environment much more comfortable and satisfactory. Ask yourself questions like: What kind of light would be most beneficial to my vision and task? Will that light make me comfortable or overwhelmed?
Remember, there’s no right or wrong answer – lighting is entirely subjective and should be tailored to your preference and comfort.
Develop an Inspiration Board
Developing an inspiration board is another great way to stay creative and allow yourself to explore different ideas. Your board should come from a variety of sources, including online images, postcards, magazines, book art, collected objects, and any source material you deem impactful to your vision. Creating an organized and easy to access inspiration board is highly beneficial, as it serves as a source of motivation and will help to engage your creative vision.
Work Through Drawing Exercises
Given that sketching can be intimidating or even time consuming, it’s intersting to work through drawing exercises. Drawing exercises are great for preparing yourself to be creative, as they allow you to explore different techniques and mediums without having to worry about the final outcome.
For example, try doing contour drawings with a charcoal pencil, practice drawing from life, or try gesture drawing with a pen. Working through these exercises can help hone your skills and increase your comfortability when sketching.
Set Certain Goals for Each Sketch
When beginning any project, it’s always helpful to set certain goals you’d like to accomplish. Doing this will help to structure your work and stay motivated throughout the sketching process.
Ask yourself questions like: What is the concept of my project? What do I want to accomplish? What should I expect from this outcome?
etc. Setting goals and challenges for yourself can be extremely helpful in creating the most successful piece of art.
Mistakes and Experimentation
Making mistakes is always a part of learning and creating. Especially when it comes to art, mistakes are almost always guaranteed. While there’s no rule for how mistakes should be handled, it’s important for you to recognize your mistakes and use them to your benefit.
Furthermore, experimentation is key. Many renowned artists started out as hobbyists and crafted a style from trial and error.
Every art medium and tool possess different traits, and being aware of them can only help when it comes to your work.
Take Breaks and Let Ideas Progression Naturally
The creative process can at times be overwhelming, especially if your artwork isn’t working out as planned. If you’re ever starting to feel frazzled or uncertain, it’s important to take some time away and clear your head.
Engaging with activities such as going on a walk or reading a book can refresh your flare of creativity and give you time to naturally progress your ideas.
Work With a Mentor or Take Classes
Having a mentor or taking classes can help you broaden your skills and hold you accountable to your artwork. Not only that, but mentors and classes can also provide you with positive feedback and helpful critiques, which can be hard to receive when you’re self-taught.
Even better, working with mentor or taking classes first hand can also give you a strong support system in case of any creative blocks or quality assurance.
Don’t Rely on Technology
With the advent of technology, many people have begun to rely on it to create artwork, either as a primary or secondary tool. While this can be helpful, it’s important not to get too dependent on it.
Technology can also shape your artwork in ways unforeseen and can hinder progress or even stunt creativity. Therefore, it’s important to keep technology in its place and not rely on it to create a successful piece of art.
Conclusion
To conclude, starting to sketch can be a daunting task. However, it’s important to remember that is an essential part to your creative journey.
Knowing the materials at your disposal and the fundamentals, as well as setting yourself up for success and creating a helpful support system, are all key to having a rewarding experience. If you’re looking to start sketching and get the hang of basic but impactful techniques, let this article serve as your guide!